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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Leaving nothing to chance, Daniel Day-Lewis' prep for his movie role as Abraham Lincoln included the two-time Academy Award winner secretly spending time in the 16th U.S. president's former Illinois turf.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Day-Lewis toured Lincoln sites in Springfield two years ago, at times standing in the Old State Capitol's chamber and asking to be left alone for 10 minutes.

Dave Blanchette with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum remembers the star of the new Steven Spielberg film "Lincoln" as studious and reverential. Blanchette says the actor even asked to touch letters Lincoln wrote to his generals. Those writings are in the museum's archives.

Day-Lewis showed up in Springfield in November 2010 intent on being incognito, wearing sunglasses and a fedora.